A Bakersfield business was left with a wrecked air-conditioning unit after a man allegedly vandalized it and made off with its compressor, and now police are asking the public to help track him down. The Bakersfield Police Department says the vandalism and theft happened on October 11 in the 1000 block of 22nd Street. Investigators are treating it as a case of vandalism and grand theft.
According to BakersfieldNow, the Bakersfield Police Department is asking the community for help identifying the man accused in the incident. Police say he vandalized the air-conditioning unit and removed its compressor, the component that keeps a cooling system running. The outlet reports the alleged offenses occurred at the 22nd Street address on October 11.
Police describe the suspect as a man wearing a light hat, a dark T-shirt, black pants, black shoes with white soles, and a light-colored backpack, per the same report. No arrest has been announced, and investigators have not released the suspect's identity. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Coronado at (661) 326-3557 or the Bakersfield Police Department at (661) 327-7111.
A Pattern Playing Out Across Bakersfield and Beyond
This is not the only time Bakersfield police have gone searching for someone accused of going after an air-conditioning unit. Back in June, according to turnto23.com, the Bakersfield Police Department asked for help identifying a man suspected of trying to steal an air-conditioning unit from a business on Rosedale Highway. That suspect was described as a man in his 40s last seen wearing a black T-shirt and black shorts.
A separate incident reported by Yahoo News described an alleged theft at a business in the 2100 block of Chester Avenue, also on October 23. In that case, the suspect was described as a man between 20 and 30 years old with black hair, wearing a black shirt, gray cargo shorts and white shoes. It is not established whether that incident, the Rosedale Highway case, or the 22nd Street theft are connected.
Why Copper Inside AC Units Has Become a Target
The appeal for thieves appears to come down to what is inside the machines. California thieves have been targeting air-conditioning units to strip them for copper parts, according to reports cited by The Independent. An AC-industry executive told 11Alive that a unit can contain as much as 100 pounds of copper depending on its size, and a local scrapyard official reportedly offered $4.50 per pound for copper, with copper coils bought at $2.30 per pound.
The publication drew a comparison to another metal-theft trend that has plagued California for years, noting that the targeting of valuable copper parts echoes the wave of catalytic-converter thefts. Pasadena has seen its own cluster of cases: the Pasadena Police Department said at least six businesses were targeted in recent weeks, including a pet hospital, two small businesses and a bakery. At Pasadena bakery Sweet Red Peach, a July 14 theft involved copper wiring worth about $4,000, while the damaged air-conditioning unit itself was valued at around $11,000 and needed to be replaced entirely.
What California Law Says About the Alleged Crimes
Under California's Penal Code, grand theft is defined broadly as theft committed under specific circumstances, according to California Legislative Information, though the statute's full list of qualifying scenarios goes beyond what applies here. Separate legislative text indicates the grand theft threshold generally applies when money, labor, or property taken is valued above $950, subject to an exception. The value of the compressor or any damage from the 22nd Street incident has not been disclosed.
For now, Bakersfield police are relying on the public to help put a name to the suspect described in the 22nd Street case. Anyone with information has been urged to reach out to investigators as the search continues.
